Drainage device

ABSTRACT

A drainage device ( 1 ) for a waste water outlet ( 12 ) includes an outer tubular member ( 102 ) adapted to fit within the waste water outlet ( 12 ). An inner tubular member ( 103 ) is located within the outer tubular member ( 102 ). The interior of the inner tubular member ( 103 ) provides a first outlet and a second outlet is defined by the external wall of the inner tubular member ( 103 ) and the internal wall of the outer tubular member ( 102 ). A valve member ( 108, 109 ) is movably mounted with respect to the inner and outer tubular members ( 102, 103 ) for movement between a first position in which the second outlet is obturated and the first outlet is open to permit a liquid to flow therethrough, and a second position in which the second outlet is open to permit liquid to enter the second outlet.

The invention relates to a drainage device and in particular a drainagedevice for a waste water outlet in a shower, bath or sink.

In accordance with the present invention, a drainage device for a wastewater outlet comprises an outer tubular member adapted to fit within thewaste water outlet, an inner tubular member located within the outertubular member, the interior of the inner tubular member providing afirst outlet and a second outlet being defined by the external wall ofthe inner tubular member and the internal wall of the outer tubularmember, and a valve member movably mounted with respect to the inner andouter tubular members for movement between a first position in which thesecond outlet is obturated and the first outlet is open to permit aliquid to flow therethrough, and a second position in which the secondoutlet is open to permit liquid to enter the second outlet.

Preferably, the valve mechanism is slidably mounted on the inner or theouter tubular member and is preferably slidably mounted within the innertubular member.

Typically, the valve mechanism comprises a flange which obturates thesecond outlet when the valve mechanism is in the first position, and israised away from the second outlet to permit liquid to enter the secondoutlet when the valve mechanism is in the second position.

Typically, the valve mechanism may comprise a tubular member throughwhich liquid may flow into the inner tubular member.

Preferably, the valve mechanism comprises a filter device to prevent orminimise the possibility of solid objects entering the first outlet.Typically, solid material is trapped in or on the filter device.

Preferably, the valve mechanism is biased to the second position and maybe moved to the first position by a force applied to the valve mechanismto move the valve mechanism from the second to the first position.

Preferably, the inner tubular member is located concentrically withinthe outer tubular member. Typically, the outer tubular member, the innertubular member and the valve mechanism are all concentric.

Typically, the inner tubular member is adapted to be coupled to a drainpipe which leads to a drainage or sewerage system and the outer tubularmember is adapted to be coupled to a waste water tank so that waterentering the second outlet flows between the inner and outer tubularmembers and into the tank.

Where the drainage device is installed in a waste water outlet of asink, bath or shower, the waste water from the waste water tank maysubsequently be used as a water supply for a cistern for flushing atoilet.

An example of a drainage device in accordance with the invention willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a drainage device;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system for reusing waste waterincorporating the drainage device; and,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a central pipe and top cover formingpart of the drainage device.

FIG. 1 shows a drainage device which may be installed in an outlet in abath or sink or shower tray. The drainage device 101 includes an outerhousing 102 in the form of a tubular pipe and an inner pipe 103concentrically mounted within the outer housing 102 by means of a rubbersupport 104. The support 4 has an inner rim 105, an outer rim 106 andsupport members 107 extending between the rims 105, 106. The outer rim106 engages with and is fixed to the top edge of the housing 102 and theinner rim 105 engages with and is fixed to the top edge of the innerpipe 103. The lower end of the inner pipe 103 is dimension to permit itto be connected to a conventional drain pipe 110.

Located within the inner pipe 103 is a central pipe 108 with a top cover109 (see also FIG. 3) which has a number of slots 111, 112 which permitwater to enter the central pipe 108. The slots are dimensioned such thatwater can pass through the slots but solid material is prevented frompassing through the slots 111, 112 and gathers on the top surface of thecover 109.

The lower end of the central pipe 108 has a perforated plate 113 withperforations 120 and a central aperture 114 through which a bolt 115extends. The bolt 115 has a head 119 which fits through the aperture114. The bolt 115 also extends through a second plate 116 fixed withinthe inner pipe 103 and is retained by a nut 117 on the opposite side ofthe plate 116 from the plate 113. A helical spring 118 is locatedbetween the plates 116 and 113 to bias the central pipe 108 and topcover 109 away from the support 104 so that the plate 113 butts againstthe head 119 of the bolt 115 and the top cover 109 is raised above thesupport 104, as shown in FIG. 1. As the bolt head 119 which fits throughthe aperture 114, the central pipe 108 and top cover 109 may be removedfrom the inner pipe 103 for cleaning.

By applying downwards pressure to the top cover 109, the top cover 109and central pipe 108 move downwards to compress the spring 18 and movethe plate 113 towards the plate 116. When the top cover 109 and centralpipe are pushed fully downwards, underside 121 of the top cover 109obturates the slots between the support members 107 so that water isprevented from flowing through the slots 107. When the slots 107 areobturated, water flows through the slots 111, 112 in the top cover 109and through the central pipe 108 and plate 113 into the inner pipe 103and exits the inner pipe 103 through the perforated plate 116 into thedrain pipe 110.

In use, the drainage device 101 is installed in an outlet of a sink,bath or shower tray such that the top edge of the support ring 104 isflush with the surface of the sink, bath or shower tray adjacent to theoutlet.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a system for reusing waste water in which thedrainage device 101 can be used. In this example, the device 101 isinstalled in a waste water outlet 12 from a shower tray 2.

FIG. 2 shows two water consuming appliances: a washing machine 1; and ashower tray 2 which forms part of a shower. An outlet 3 from the washingmachine 1 is connected to a water pipe 32 which is connected to an inletof a control valve 4 which has two outlets 5, 6. The outlet 5 isconnected to a water pipe 33 which connects the control valve 4 to aused water tank 7 and the outlet 6 is coupled to a drain 8.

The used water tank 7 includes a manually operated tap 9 which permitswater to be drawn from the tank 7, for example, into a container such asa bucket. The tank 7 also has an outlet 10 which is connected by a waterpipe 34 to a second used water tank 11 located below the shower tray 2.The shower tray 2 has a waste water outlet 12 which is connected to thesecond used water tank 11 and permits water to flow from the shower tray2 into the used water tank 11.

The used water tank 11 has an outlet 13 and an overflow 14 which isconnected to a drain 15. The outlet 13 is connected by a water pipe 16to a two way valve 17 via a water pump 18. The water pipe 16 is coupledto a first inlet 19 of the valve 17 and a second inlet 20 is coupled bya water pipe 21 to a cold water tank 22 which is filled by a water pipe23 connected to a fresh (or unused) water source. The valve 17 also hasan outlet 24 which is coupled by a water pipe 25 into a cistern 26 whichis used to store water for flushing a toilet 27. The water for flushingthe toilet 27 passes from the cistern 26 to the toilet 27 via a conduit28.

A control box 29 is powered by a mains power supply 30 and is connectedto a water level sensor 31 in the cistern 26, and to the water pump 18.

The valve 17 may be manually operable to connect the first inlet 19 orthe second inlet 20 to the outlet 24. Alternatively, the valve 17 may beoperable automatically under control of the control box 29. For example,the valve 17 may be an electromechanical valve which is controlled bythe control box 29 and the control box 29 is coupled to the pump todetect whether the pump is pumping water when it is operated. If thecontrol box 29 detects that there is no water to be pumped through thepipe 16 when the water pump 18 is operating, then the control box 29switches off the water pump 18 and switches the valve 17 so that thesecond inlet 20 is coupled to the outlet 24.

In use, during the washing cycle of the washing machine 1, waste waterflows from the outlet 3 of the washing machine 1 to the control valve 4through the conduit 32. If the water from the washing machine is fromthe first portion of the washing cycle, then the control valve 4 isoperated to discharge the used water through the outlet 6 to the drain8. However, for a subsequent portions of the cycle, when the waterexiting the outlet 3 is cleaner, the control valve 4 switches to passthe water to the outlet 5 and into the used water tank 7 through thepipe 33.

Water may then be drawn from the used water tank 7 by means of the tap 9into to a container, such as a bucket. Alternatively, the water from thewater tank 7 is passed out by the pipe 34 to the used water tank 11. Theused water tank 11 collects used water from the washing machine 1 viathe tank 7 and from the shower tray 2 via the drain 12. Used water isthen stored in the used water tank 11 and any excess water is dischargedfrom the tank 11 through the overflow outlet 14 and into the drain 15.

When the toilet 27 is flushed, water from the cistern 26 passes throughthe pipe 28 to the toilet 27 and the cistern 26 empties of water. Thecontrol box 29 detects a drop in the water level in the cistern 26 bymeans of the water level sensor 31 and switches on the water pump 18 topump water from the used water tank 11 through the pipe 16 to the valve17. If the control box 29 detects water being pumped by the pump 18, thevalve 17 is actuated such that the first inlet 19 is switched to theoutlet 25. Hence, water from the pipe 16 passes through the valve 17 outof the outlet 24 and into the pipe 25 to fill the cistern 26. When thecistern 26 has sufficient water in it, the control box 29 detects thisvia the water level sensor 31 and switches off the pump 18.

If the control box 29 detects that the pump is not pumping water when itis switched on, this indicates that there is no water in the tank 11 andthe control box 29 switches off the pump 18 and switches the valve 17 sothat the second inlet 20 is connected to the outlet 24. Hence, waterfrom the cold water tank 22 passes through the pipe 21, the valve 17 andpipe 25 into the cistern 26 to fill the cistern 26.

As an alternative to having the valve mechanism 17, it is possible thatthe pipe 21 and the pipe 16 may discharge water directly into thecistern 26. In such a mechanism, the pipe 21 would have a valve operatedby conventional float type valve in the cistern 26 and when toilet 27 isflushed, a mixture of waste water from the tank 11 and clean water fromthe cold water tank 22 would fill the cistern 26. In this alternativeexample, preferably, the amount of water filling the cistern 26 from thepipe 16 would be greater than the amount of water filling the cistern 26from the pipe 21.

The end of the inner pipe 103 adjacent to the perforated plate 116 isconnected to the waste water drain pipe 110. The lower end of the outerhousing 102 is coupled to an inlet of the used water tank 11 whichencircles the lower end of the inner pipe 103 and the upper end of thedrain pipe 110.

Hence, if the central pipe 108 and top cover 109 are in the positionshown in FIG. 1, water from the shower tray 2 flows through the slotsbetween the support members 107 and between the annulus defined by theouter surface of the inner pipe 103 and the inner surface of the housing102 and into the waste water tank 11 for storage and reuse (in thisexample) as water for flushing the toilet 27. However, if the centralpipe 108 and top cover 109 are pressed downwards, the underside 121 ofthe top cover 109 obturates the apertures between the support members107 and water from the shower tray 2 must flow through the slots 111,112 into the central pipe 108 and through the inner pipe 103 into thewaste water drain pipe 110.

Therefore, the invention permits a user to select whether water in asink, bath or shower tray is to be reused. If a user decides that thewater is too dirty to reuse, the user presses the top cover 109downwards (for example, by using a hand or foot to apply a downwardforce to the top cover 109) so that the water in the sink, bath orshower tray drains into the waste water drain pipe 110. Alternatively,if the water is sufficiently clean to be reused, the user can remove theforce from the top cover 109 to permit the top cover 109 and centralpipe 108 to move to the position shown in FIG. 1 and water is permittedto enter the annular space between the outer surface of the inner pipe103 and the inner surface of the housing 102 to flow into a waste watertank for reuse.

What is claimed is:
 1. A drainage device for a waste water outletcomprising an outer tubular member adapted to fit within the waste wateroutlet, an inner tubular member located within the outer tubular member,the interior of the inner tubular member providing a first outlet and asecond outlet being defined by the external wall of the inner tubularmember and the internal wall of the outer tubular member, and a valvemember movably mounted with respect to the inner and outer tubularmembers for movement between a first position in which the second outletis obturated and the first outlet is open to permit a liquid to flowtherethrough, and a second position in which the second outlet is opento permit liquid to enter the second outlet.
 2. A drainage deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the valve mechanism is slidably mounted onthe inner or the outer tubular member.
 3. A drainage device according toclaim 2, wherein the valve mechanism is slidably mounted within theinner tubular member.
 4. A drainage device according to claim 1, whereinthe valve mechanism comprises a flange which obturates the second outletwhen the valve mechanism is in the first position, and is spaced fromthe second outlet to permit liquid to enter the second outlet when thevalve mechanism is in the second position.
 5. A drainage deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the valve mechanism comprises a thirdtubular member.
 6. A drainage device according to claim 5, wherein thevalve mechanism comprises apertures to permit water to enter the thirdtubular member and flow through the third tubular member to the firstoutlet.
 7. A drainage device according to claim 6, wherein the valvemechanism comprises a filter device at the apertures.
 8. A drainagedevice according to claim 7, wherein the filter device is provided bythe shape and configuration of the apertures.
 9. A drainage deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the valve mechanism is biased to thesecond position and may be moved to the first position by a forceapplied to the valve mechanism to move the valve mechanism from thesecond to the first position.
 10. A drainage device according to claim1, wherein the drainage device is adapted to be mounted in a waste wateroutlet in a shower, bath or sink.
 11. A shower tray comprising adrainage device in accordance with claim 1.